Did you know your face actually turns slightly red each time your heart beats, when fresh blood pumps through it? Neither did I, and that’s because it’s so slight that our visual perception system doesn’t pick up on it. Ah, but what if you could use a computer program to magnify the changes so they become visible? That’s just what computer scientists at MIT did, and the result is fascinating: watch the video above (starting at 1:25) and see how with every heartbeat, a man’s face turns tomato red, then fades to a pallid yellow. The program is so precise that it can accurately calculate a person’s heart rate from the color changes.

It is fascinating to think of the possible applications of this technology of remote monitoring of heart rates and for telemedicine in general.

Steve

Is this possible with commodity cameras or are special cameras needed?

Micah

Incredible!

http://www.hypnosisdownloadmp3.com Richard

That’s amazing. Mark Changizi is currently involved in developing glasses that also amplify skin coloration changes, they’re called O2Amps. I don’t think it’s nearly as strong as this, but still fascinating.
Wondering, will this software become publicly available? And can it be used with all kinds of color videos?

http://www.changizi.com Mark Changizi

Richard, there are indeed similarities, but lots of differences. Our O2Amps come in three varieties, accentuating different blood signals, some signals which cameras can pick up (and amplify), some which cameras cannot pick up. [ http://changizi.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/o2amps-by-2ai/ ]